Apple's 'Fake' Project Assignments are Likely a Myth

Earlier this year, the Apple blogs ran wild for a time over allegations that Apple was assigning engineers to fake products, all in an effort to vet them for loyalty. But according to a new Ars Technica article, the entire concept itself may just be a fabrication.

Speaking to a number of unnamed Cupertino employees, Ars' Jacqui Cheng gets to the bottom of a rumor that at one time, seemed to have real legs. The hubbub started when author Adam Lashinsky made claims of Apple engineers assigned to "dummy" projects when they are first hired into the company. But as it turns out, no one inside the company has ever heard of such a practice, and Lashinsky claims the whole thing was a misunderstanding.

"You can be hired for a position where they don't tell you what you're working on beforehand, sure, but if they're choosing to hire you with your skill set, you might be able to hazard a guess on what it's about," one Apple employee told Cheng. "It's a lot easier to have someone sign an NDA and then fire them if they violate it."

Many of the employees interviewed mentioned Apple's strict use of non-disclosure agreements to protect unreleased projects. But even more interesting is the revelation of how Cupertino responds when a leak is detected, including "lockdowns" with former military contractors blocking the exits. Crazy.

All in all, it sounds like the fake projects rumor was precisely that: a rumor. But the article is still an interesting look inside the Apple fortress. Be sure to give it a read.